This specification is related generally to power strips.
A conventional power strip includes two or more electrical outlets (or sockets) that electrical devices can plug into. The power strip, in turn, receives power through its power cable from a single socket, thereby permitting the electrical devices plugged into the power strip to share a power source. In addition to permitting multiple electrical devices to receive power from a single socket, power strips also typically include surge protection circuits to protect electrical devices plugged into the strip from electricity surges. These circuits protect electrical devices plugged into the power strip from sudden spikes in power by acting as high speed switch to limit peak power to the electrical sockets when surges are detected.
Despite the advantages power strips provide in permitting multiple electrical devices to be close proximity by sharing a single socket, while sometimes providing features like surge protection, the use of many electrical devices drawing power from or through a common source can result in problems. One such problem is overloading, which is caused when electrical devices draw more power from a power source than is available. Even if a power strip includes overload protection to prevent it taking more power than it is intended to supply, high current-drawing electrical devices can cause circuit breakers to trip, such as home circuit breakers. This can result in damage to electrical devices plugged into the power strip, and the de-energizing of other electrical devices sharing the same circuit breaker. This problem may be exacerbated when multiple electrical devices that pull significant current are connected to a single power strip. Another problem are electrical surges, which can be harmful to electrical devices and can occur when multiple devices are simultaneously turned on or off, as often occurs when a conventional power strip is turned on or off.